Bleached Rain
by DannyHorseRules
Summary: He was a Shinigami. A very good one, in fact. His hair made him stand out in the normal crowd. While she... was something else. With the resemblance of a mirage he had once. Join them on their venture to Paradise. OC/Ichigo :3 Rating may change, BEWARE!
1. PROLOGUE

**Holy crap… my first Bleach fanfic. LOL, not really. Its not my first one. I'm just really BORREEEDDD. But, if I get enough reviews, then maybe I'll continue it. It has been in my teeny Latino brain for however long. IT ENDS NOT THAT WELL, KIDS. HIDE QUICKLY. BEFORE MY OTHER OC TAOS EATS JOO.**

**So… IchigoxOC. Dang it, that OC is lucky. . Then again… that OC is based off of MEE, so… I STILL HATE YOU, OC.**

**Warnings: None for now. *hurrhurr***

**Okayyy…. I'm borreeedddd…. PROLOGUE TIEMMM.**

**P.S. – The usual prologue was from the end of Episode 11… in WR.**

* * *

Prologue

He walked along the ice, his claws scraping it ever so roughly, his bad leg dragging over the scratchmarks, leaving a trail of blood behind instead.

He was battle-scarred, tired, and sad. In his mouth he held a mere flower, colored like the moon. It was flopping uselessly.

The snow was falling. It was light and slow, dripping from the dark grey clouds above. The air was thin and cold… just like his heart at the moment.

He stumbled and fell, but didn't try to regain his paws. His yellow eyes bore sadly into the flower, and a drop of the blood from the wound on his head almost fell onto it. He whimpered, then spoke few words.

"…_There's no such place… as Paradise."_

"_Even if you search to the ends of the earth… there's nothing there…"_

"…_no matter how far you walk, it's always the same road… and it just goes on…" _The snow fell more, and it felt heavier on his face.

"…_but in spite of that… why… am I so driven to find it…?" _His breathing became troubled and he gasped quietly, the cold air not helping his freezing lungs.

The pain throbbed throughout his body, and his whiskers were covered in ice and snow, and his breath came out if white clouds of mist, each becoming smaller with every breath.

Then he closed his eyes.

He could feel himself drifting across the air, and the scent of lunar flowers surrounded him.

"…_I hear a voice calling to me… it says… 'Search…for Paradise…'"_

He became still, and within a few moments, the snow blended into his white fur, making his lifeless carcass freeze over. The ice became thin, and the body slipped through, his stray fur drifting through separate currents. The once blood red moon turned back to its beautiful blue. The seeds of the last flower had opened, and bloomed all about, forming some sort of arc over the once frozen lake.

Then it started to rain.

* * *

WHEW! It's over.

I felt like crying at this part, at the dead end of Wolf's Rain. I love the anime SOOOO MUCH…

*sigh* If they make a new season (which I doubt but believe in) then I will move to Japan and celebrate however I could. But, even if they don't make a new season (or sequel series) I still wanna move to Japan. 

NEXT CHAPTER. CLICK ZE LINK. :D *already wrote the first chapter :P*


	2. The Wolfess

**Chapter dos nao. :3**

**OK, this is where the story actually develops. Not like the previous chapter… which was the ending of Wolf's Rain. Sniff. I loved that anime. The saddest part about it was that there was only THIRTY episodes! WAHHHAHAHAHAAAAHHHH….**

**Ahem. Yeahh. :3**

_**Warning**_**: Some violence…? Maybe… the rating might change in later chapters. 83**

* * *

Chapter One

The ceiling fan continued to spin in worthless rotations, making a single sound each time: vwip, vwip, vwip. He concentrated on that until he felt light-headed. He realized it was because he hadn't taken a breath in a while, so he focused on that; light suck in, huff with a small moan out. Then he returned his attention to the fan, since it was the only thing moving at the moment.

He turned over on his right side in his bed and sighed lightly. The pale, moon-colored curtains moved along with the light breeze coming from the slightly open window. How many nights had it been? He wondered blandly. About… ten. Ten sleepless nights. He closed his brown eyes and tried hard to fall asleep.

Dammit. He snapped them open angrily and turned back to his original position: looking at the fan. A pink-skinned hand reached up to scratch a patch of spiky, orange hair, then it pounded back onto the bed, almost lifelessly. The sound of the air whooshing about filled his ears lightly.

Kurasaki. Kurasaki Ichigo. Older brother of Karin and Yuzu. Father Isshin. Mother Masaki. Deceased.

Occupation – Substitute Soul Reaper. All thanks to Rukia Kuchiki, actual Soul Reaper. Who was, currently, sleeping in his closet. Kon was the current substitute soul for Ichigo when he needed to become a Soul Reaper. He was in the plushie lion body, over there, in the corner, snoring.

Oh, how he felt odd. With all of this sleep loss, Ichigo could care less if there was a crisis happening somewhere near. He knew he needed sleep, but he just couldn't fall into one deep enough to last the entire night.

It might be because a lot has happened. Many things were on his mind, but he didn't bother thinking of them. It would waste time that he could use in a boring class at school. Ah. He was doing it again. He huffed and turned back to the window.

The full moon shone on him directly, seeping out of the window and onto his bed. He sighed in pleasure; for some reason, the moon… rejuvenated him somehow. Refreshed him. Gave him a certain strength.

Suddenly he felt drowsy. He blinked a few times, then closed those eyes of his, and, with one deep sigh, he finally got to sleep.

Ichigo grunted grumpily. The light shone too brightly – five more minutes! Can't morning wait? He grabbed the covers and plunged his head under, dying down the light a little.

He then heard shuffling above. He groaned, popped his head out of the covers, his eyes still closed, and he waited to hear the sound again. When nothing happened, he settled his nerves a bit and relaxed so he'd get a few more glimpses of sleep…

"RAWRR!" shouted Kon, jumping atop of Ichigo, his little feet planting themselves into the boy's chest. "Get up, Ichigo! Rise and SHIINE!"

Ichigo didn't stir, but his face wore a furious scowl. Kon proceeded to jumping, softly at first, then like Ichigo was a bouncy trampoline. Finally, the teenager snapped; he grabbed the toy and threw him off of the bed, growling. Kon bounced about, squeaking his little toy-squeak in the process. When the projectile stopped, he padded over to the foot of Ichigo's bed and hopped on.

"What, Kon?" Ichigo yawned irritably. "It's only freaking six!"

"Yeah…" Kon said innocently, oddly out-of-character. "But, I figured you'd need a head start to get to school. Ya know, hide me in your bag, and all that stuff…"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the plushie, but Kon only shuffled his fuzzy paws around. Ah well. He'd find out later. He got up out of bed and went to get ready.

Kon watched his go, then he snickered. "Nyehehehe… soon, very soon, very soon, I shall visit the Valley of Soft Pillows!" The toy slithered off.

Rukia awoke suddenly. What an odd dream. It was about… wait, what WAS it about? She couldn't even remember. Damn, that's a nuisance, when you can't remember dreams. She was sure it was a good one, too. She grabbed her school uniform, threw it on, and leapt out of the sliding-door closet. Then she grabbed her bag and waited until Ichigo came back.

It wasn't long until they were walking to school. They went into a chit chat about what they'd need to do if there was a hollow about. Then they were walking up the hall and into class 1-3.

"ICHIGO!" a familiar voice wailed, then a figure glomped Ichigo. He turned to face his attacker.

It was none other than Asano Keigo. He was laughing like nothing happened. God. What a retard he was, sometimes.

"You ready for Spring Break this year?" he asked, a mischievous gleam in his eye. Ichigo shrugged.

"I dunno. I suppose."

Keigo was quiet for a minute. Then the friendly gleam turned into a mad one.

"Are you freaking SERIOUS? Spring Break means spring and spring means girls springing about, nothing to do…" -he grabbed Ichigo's shoulder here- "..so it's us guys to the rescue! Am I right?"

Ichigo's face showed that scowl of his, but he was clueless. Keigo sighed in defeat.

"Nevermind. Hey, Mizuiro!" Keigo trotted off to the other side of the classroom.

Ichigo sat down in his seat and was lost in thought. He could just vaguely remember that dream he had last night, when he did sleep. What was it about again…?

He could remember he was walking down the street, carrying these grocery bags or some sort, when he, as he used to, got mugged by these dudes on the side of the road. They must've mugged him before, 'cause they dodged his defensive attacks well, and they held him in a familiar armlock. Then, the strangest thing…

Ichigo groaned. He forgot the rest of that dream, but it didn't leave him pondering about it, because he usually forgot his dreams completely. So it was kind of a new high for him.

He got out a pencil and doodled on a random piece of paper. Something about that dream seemed… realistic. Almost like a sign. A creepy sort of sign. One that was warning him what would happen if he didn't follow it. He was certain something out-of-the-ordinary happened at the end of the dream. He knew it. Just what had happened…?

He sighed and put away the pencil and watched the clouds. Which was odd, because he usually didn't pay attention to things like that. However, he was acting out-of-character today.

Keigo returned to his friends side, apparently to get Ichigo annoyed again. "Hey, dude!" He smiled that stupid smile of his and poked Ichigo's shoulder. "Whatcha doin'?"

Ichigo only grunted and his scowl grew. Keigo decided to peek at his doodle. "Woah, what were you drawing?"

Ichigo turned to face his friend, then looked at the paper and realized what he drew.

It was a wolf. It seemed like it was female, from how he drew it. It had a dark forelock and a collar. It had… human eyes.

Ichigo stared at the picture. How come he didn't realize what he drew before? It was almost as if he didn't think he touched the pencil at all. He could only stare at the wolfess's' eyes.

Keigo looked at Ichigo, a gleam in his brown eyes. "Who knew you could draw, huh?"

"I can't. Well, not well, anyways."

Keigo smiled a victory. "Cat gave you your tongue back, buddy?"

Ichigo stared at the picture more, not replying to Keigo.

Keigo sighed yet ANOTHER defeat. "Fine, whatever. But remember this, dude – whenever YOU are alone and need someone to talk to, don't call me!" He made some sort of 'humph!' noise and stomped off.

Ichigo stared at the picture in realization.

He remembered his dream!

_Those two bastards held his arms behind his back, and the leader of that damned gang was throwing punches at his bruised face. He still wore that fearless scowl, which was just screaming "Come on, that all you got?" Yet, his face was throbbing and bleeding in places._

_The leader laughed evilly and rubbed the metal knuckle-ring-thing he had on his hand. He started saying something, but Ichigo's head was throbbing too much. Thus, he couldn't hear the sentences clearly. Ichigo spat back a retort, and the rage gleamed in the leader's ugly eyes._

"_YOU LITTLE BASTARD. __YOU NEED TO LEARN A LESSON, DON'T YOU?" He pulled out a pocketknife and pointed it at Ichigo's face. "Hold him steady. We needn't make a mess."_

_The two thugs' grip on Ichigo's arms grew tighter. He growled, appearing fearless, but his heart raced in cold fear as the knife gleamed. _

_The thing that actually panged the terror through his veins so horribly that the fear showed, was that one of the dudes behind him __held his head upward so his windpipe was wide open.__ He almost felt like screaming, but he didn't. If he was to die… so be it._

_The air whooshing about when the leader thrusted the knife at his neck made Ichigo's stomach flop, knowing what would happen when his family found his body in this alleyway, how brutally cut up he was, how the gash in his throat was older than the more recent wounds. He closed his eyes, thinking of how he regretted not doing much throughout his-_

_Then he heard a metallic clang next to him. Then the leader screaming bloody murder, and… a _snarl.

_The thug holding his head loosened his grip, so Ichigo threw his head downward, facing the ground, then he shot it back up straight, and stared straight at a tan-grey wolf, with a brown forelock and a black collar, standing over the leader's trembling body, its blood-stained fangs bared, its green eyes glaring at its targeted spot. The leader glanced at Ichigo before the wolf released a bark and lunged at his throat, ripping it apart in bloody sheds. Then its wet, red teeth were bared again and it faced the two thugs holding the orange-haired teenager, who just stared at the gory corpse under it._

_It barked another time, and ran Ichigo's way. Ichigo's brown eyes widened. _

_That knife could've been an easier way to go!_

_The wolf snarled, jumped up and, barely missing Ichigo, snapped its fangs onto the first guy's face, which toppled him backward. He let go of Ichigo, fell to the ground, and screamed, as the wolf snarled and ripped his neck open as well, saliva and blood flying everywhere. _

_The last dude shrieked a feminine squeal - which Ichigo would've ordinarily laughed at, but he was so taken aback that he didn't - and let go of Ichigo, running for the alley's exit. The wolf zoomed behind him, snapping at his heels and grabbing onto one with most expertise. He fell, and his eyes gleamed in horror as he, too, was ripped apart by the fangs of the animal._

_Ichigo looked around him, blood puddles and bloodied canine tracks covering the cement ground. Ichigo looked up at the animal, who let its hackles and its upraised tail relax. It turned toward Ichigo with a friendly gleam in its green eyes - no, scratch that - Green and grey eyes. It walked over to Ichigo, who stared at the wolf cautiously, and when he backed up, his legs gave and he sat on the ground, his eyes still scanning the animal._

_It continued approaching Ichigo, until it was face-to-face with him. He prepared himself for the fate those three met, but the wolf only sniffed his nose, then his cheek, and licked the bloody wound on it._

_Suddenly, he relaxed._

Ichigo scratched his head. He was shuddering from the memory of the horrible mirage his subconscious bestowed upon him last night, even though he knew it wasn't reality. Something about it seemed… real. He felt the wolf's soft, comforting tongue over his right cheek. He skimmed his finger over where the wolf had licked it. He even believed he would have died if it wasn't for the bloodthirsty animal. It was creepy.

Suddenly his teacher barged in. "Sorry class! I just witnessed a car wreck on the way here... Okay, today we'll be reviewing our Japanese grammar…"

* * *

The stream bubbled peacefully on the edge of Kanakura town. The grass on the sides of the bank was wet and green as green could be, and the soil was nice and rich. A slight tan blur rippled through the stream, and a figure splashed out of a light wave and gasped for air. Its eyelashes whipped away the drops on its eyes, and its black nose snorted out excess water. It paddled to the bank, stepped onto the green grass, and shook out the surplus wet. It whimpered, and ate a few blades of the grass nearest to it, for its stomach was aroused by seasickness. Because the grass was so flourished, the sweet flavor was enriching. The animal wagged its tail, swallowed the plant, and scented out where everything was.

It could tell from its expertise scent-finding where the humans currently were, where other animals were, and where the meals resided. It licked its black chops and scanned its green eye and grey eye over the area. Humans came around this spot often. Not the best place to stay, now, was it? The wolf snorted, blended in, then walked off, its mirage black Converse scuffling up the fine grass beneath them.

* * *

"Okay, class, we'll meet up tomorrow and finish the lesson!" The teacher grabbed her bag and walked out of the room before most of the students left.

Ichigo sighed, grabbed his bag from the desk's seat, and threw it over his shoulder, exiting the room, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chad not far behind.

"I am so glad today's over! Lessons were boring! Weren't they, Chad?"

"Mmm."

Ichigo peeked behind him just barely, and then turned back, remembering the details of the wolf in his dream.

"Yeah, Chad, you're such a GOOD friend! You reply to me when I ask you a question or just plainly don't ignore me! Aren't you such a buddy?" A vein popped out of Ichigo's head; he knew Keigo was trying to get Ichigo's attention. Which, actually, he was. Damn Keigo.

"Mmm."

"HAHAHA! Chad, you CRACK ME UP!"

Thankfully, Ichigo turned onto his street sooner than he used to and escaped Keigo's "hurtful" words. Haha. Keigo fails so easily sometimes.

He almost reached his house when he looked further down the road. He pondered. It wouldn't hurt if he took a little walk, now, would it? He walked out of the pathway and strolled down the street.

It was a district were many kids were playing in the dirtied streets, and many adults and elders were sitting on the sides of the roads, leaning against the walls and trash bins. Ichigo looked about the barracks. It was disheartening, how unlucky most of these people were, who could only dress in rags and call certain clean ones "fancy clothing." The kids had old clothes on, too, but they were smiling and jumping about, their eyes filled with happiness and fun.

Perhaps, too much fun. Most of the parents, once seeing Ichigo, pulled their children close and scolded them under their breath, watching him closely. The kids' eyes then glazed over with disappointment and sadness. Surely because he looked clean and healthy. Yet, some of the children ignored their parents warnings and returned to romping around. Ichigo smiled at the group who pretended they were horses or something. At least they still had their young spirit.

Then one of the girls bumped into him, almost toppling him over. She looked at him. "Oh, God! I am so sorry, sir!"

Ichigo looked at the girl, glaring, about to snap something like "Can't you watch where you're going?" but once he got a good look at her, his glare faded and he just stared at her.

She had that wolf's eyes.

_She had that wolf's eyes._

_She. Had. That. Wolf's. Eyes._

She had its forelock, too. The dark brown, messy hair was definitely the wolf's. The collar… it was around her neck. The gold tag was dangling from it as well. This girl resembled it too much. It was terrifying.

"Um, do you need something from me, Mister?" she looked at him, worry glazing her wondrous eyes.

Ichigo blinked and shook his head, then tried avoiding her gaze. "Uh-uh, no, not really…" He got lost in her amazing look again. "Have…have we- have we met?"

The girl looked away, thought clouding her astonishing stare. "Uh, no, I don't think so. Please pardon me, sir, but I think I'd remember someone with your hair!" She smiled at him. "It it so beautiful, the color of it. Well, sorry for bothering you!" She leapt off, giggling after a small toddler, who was taunting her playfully.

Ichigo watched her go, his mind stuck on the moment their eyes met. He was thinking about her eyes. The colors of them, and how you could tell she was feeling. How they had sparked when she glanced at the kid, how they both had speckles of the other color of the eye in the original. They were… incredible. He had a cold shiver down his spine when he saw them at first. Oh man… he savored that moment. He didn't know why, but… he did.

He turned out of the district and returned to his front door.

"I'm ho-" A socked foot was planted in his face just when he walked in.

"YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN AGAIN!" Isshin laughed, standing over Ichigo in victory, his foot still in his face. In which, Ichigo snapped his lower half upwards, and kicked Isshin where it hurts. His father toppled over, clutching his groin, murmuring something about "you have learned well, my son…"

Ichigo growled, gaining his balance again. "Can't you leave your only son alone for ONE day?" He balled his hand into a fist and held it in front of him, facing Isshin.

Isshin slowly got onto his feet and wiped his brow, then managed a sneaky smirk. "If I left you alone, you'd get rusty, wouldn't you?"

Ichigo grunted, walking away from his idiotic father, and grabbed a plate of dinner Yuzu made.

"How come you were so late, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu's innocent voice chimed behind him. He looked at his younger sister, not replying to her question.

"Ichi-nii ran into a girl?" Karin smirked, sitting on the couch, a soda in her hand. Ichigo glared at her, but not as much as he intended, because she was right.

Yuzu gasped and smiled. "Really? Is she nice?"

"I…I dunno. I just ran into her in the street is all."

"Oh, so, you didn't _officially_ officially meet her?"

"Yuzu, what is that supposed to even mean?"

"Karin, I was just making sure! Ichi-nii is getting older, so if he ever DOES get a girlfriend…"

Ichigo sighed. "I'm going to eat upstairs. Night." He walked towards his room on the top floor.

Karin watched him go, then she chuckled under her breath.

Yuzu looked at her funny. "What?"

"Ichi-nii must like that girl."

* * *

The night was peaceful.

The moon was out and shining, and the breeze spread the scents of flowers about. She sniffed the air and sighed. What a nice night to have a full moon on, huh? She was gaining energy while the night air added extra strength. She felt invincible.

Her throat suddenly felt open, and her vocal chords were screaming, waiting to be able to speak for her. She threw back her illusion's head and howled to the starry sky, the tan fur of her natural wolf form blowing with the breeze. She wailed longer and louder, happier, more spirited. The black nose twitched often, and the collar under her pelt tinkled and jangled. The moon made her padded feet move from the spot she sat at and dance around in circles, like a little celebration or some sort. Her tongue lolled about happily, her tail wagging. She howled again after stopping the twirling, the sounds telling the story.

She had found the one who would venture to Paradise with her.

* * *

**WAS DE END KINDA COCKY? NO? Well, good, cus I hoped it wasn't. It was supposed to be. Okay. Yeah. Ichi-nii loves her eyes. I love her eyes, too. X3 **

**The car wreck Ichigo's sensei witnessed has nothing to do with the wolfess. Ha. Most of you probably thought that.**

**Also, I…er, uh… I am bored. So, yeah. Review please! 3**


	3. The Legend

**YAY! I'm on chapter three already. :3 HAHAHAHAHA, I was all eating a granola bar when I was typing the last chapter, so I think the 'z' key isn't going to be working right. Sorry Yuu.**

**OKAY, I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT GABBY-CHAN. CALL HER ELLE.**

_**Warning: **_**Um… minor language and violence, like last time :3**

Chapter 3

She was sitting on the side of the road, a rugged baseball cap covering her closed eyes, and leaning against a building wall, her light snoring echoing through the emptiness. Her snoring ceased when the daylight peeked through one of the strands of hair she had. She remembered; that boy! She'd be able to meet him today! It was possible that they'd become friends within the day, and she'd be able to be around him and his sweet, spicy scent. Ahh, it rejuvenated her spirit so wonderfully. She sighed, thinking of him more. He was warm and soft when she "accidentally" bumped into him yesterday. His eyes, though they were furious at first, were astonishing when they softened that moment hers met his. And his big, bushy, spiky orange hair. It was so unique, creative, pretty. Overall, he had a rosy maroon aura she liked.

Suddenly a new scent wafted in the air around her. She sniffed to make sure, then found out it was definitely that certain scent. She got up and followed it, for it called her.

Wolves and lunar flowers mixed, you know.

Or, better yet, lunar flower _maidens_.

* * *

Ichigo snapped his eyes open and sat up from his bed. He panted, easing his panicked heartbeat a bit, and then pondered about what his nightmare was about anyways. Huh, guess the real Ichigo is back.

He groaned, stretched, and rubbed the back of his neck, looking out of his window. He started remembering all that had happened the day before; the dream of the wolf, Keigo's "harmful insults," and that girl with the wolf's eyes. He swallowed, then lay back in his bed and looked at the clock on his desk.

He sighed, for he had about an hour or so until he had to get to class. He scratched his head and closed his eyes, listening to everything for a split second.

The whooshing of the morning breeze fluttering his window curtains nearby.

The not-so-peaceful snoring of Kon.

The muffled chatter down in the kitchen.

And… the tap of someone landing nearby. That noise muted out the whooshing and made Ichigo snap his eyes back open. He sat back up to face the intruder.

It was that girl. She had jumped onto his windowsill, and was squatting on it, her nose twitching frequently.

Ichigo, despite that look she had, scowled at her and snapped, "What the hell are you doing? What do you want?"

She didn't reply. Her nose continued twitching and her eyes widened, gazing at his closet. She inhaled deeply, her eyes not leaving her targeted spot.

Rukia slammed a closet door open. "Ichigo? What's-" She saw the girl and fixed a furious gaze on her. "Hey, you! You are intruding! Leave now!"

The girl ignored Rukia's words, and instead jumped off of Ichigo's windowsill, and headed for the closet, gently pushing Rukia out of the way so she could climb in it.

Rukia turned red. "That's where I sleep! Leave it alone! If you mess it up, I swear, I will…"

The girl emerged from the closet, a confused look clouding her young face. She jumped out of the closet, and looked around his room.

"…Where…But I…I could've sworn…?" Her soft voice whimpered, she still facing everywhere at a time.

Ichigo growled. "Look, I don't know what you want, but I don't feel like handling intruders right now! So get out!" He put his hand on her shoulder and tried guiding her back towards the window.

She growled fiercely, and her eyes were misted with rage. Ichigo took one look into those fiery eyes and let go of her shoulder, almost like a reflex.

"…I thought she was here. But she isn't. I forgot, she's gone…" Her suddenly sad voice made Ichigo grumbled in irritability. What was with her, was she PMSing and she had these side effect mood swings or something? Or was she just a plain psychopath? He didn't care. He just wanted her to leave before he got too freaked out.

The girl faced him, realization in her face. "Wait, you're the guy from yesterday, right?"

Ichigo blinked. "Y-yeah, that's me."

"Oh yeah, huh? Hey, sorry for bumping into you like that. Those kids can get you riled up!" She smiled.

Rukia stepped in. "Why are you here, may I ask again? And who is 'she?' What do you want?" Her voice was filled with rage and chill severity.

The girl looked at Rukia. "It's really hard to take you seriously when I'm bigger than you."

Rukia growled. "_What_ did you say?" She lunged at the girl, who jumped back, back flipped, and flew out of the window… laughing.

Ichigo ran to the window and looked around.

There was nobody anywhere near his house.

He huffed, for all of this was starting to get to him. Was she a soul? No, she had no chain on her chest. She didn't have the aura of a Soul Reaper, either. What _was_ she?

It sent a chill up his spine, because he was certain that she wasn't human.

* * *

She landed next to a lamppost and smacked her forehead with her palm and groaned.

"_Ah, I'm such a fool!"_ She growled to herself in wolf language. "_Why is it whenever I think I found her scent, I go berserk and search for her?" _She scratched her head. "_Maybe Kiba-san rubbed off on me."_

The female looked at the sun and determined it was almost time for her to get to the high school. She smirked and mischievously rubbed her hands together.

"_I bet those older humans will be fun…"_

* * *

"Ichigo!" Kon snapped, kicking his ankle, trying to knock the much taller teen down. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I don't want to, Kon. Now shut up." Ichigo picked the stuffed toy and threw him into Rukia's closet. He squeaked lightly as he landed, then he growled and watched Ichigo leave the room. Then he sighed and nuzzled into the pillow he sat on.

"Damn that human… not telling me what happens when girls randomly jump into his room… I'm so mad, but…" He inhaled the pillow. "…Ahh… Nee-san's scent is so lovely…." He hugged it with soft and plushy love.

Ichigo walked the pathway to school, his head abuzz with thought.

He remembered how Rukia had left early for unknown reasons, and how his father had "supposedly" heard a ruckus the past night. And then how Yuzu had asked him if he was feeling okay. Karin had added a snide comment to that afterwards.

He also continued thinking of… her. He didn't know why, but what she was had him in some sort of pickle. He knew it shouldn't be any of his business, yet… he was curious. It was hard to explain, really.

As he entered the school grounds, Keigo walked up to him, that usual Keigo look on his face.

"Hey, dude! I forgive you for how you were yesterday, ya know, what with how you are OBVIOUSLY going through changes, and-" Ichigo's fist met his face.

"Oh, shut up! It's not like that…!" He blushed and glared at the Keigo who was rolling around the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, SUUUUURRRRREEE-" Ichigo punched him again.

Mizuiro walked up to them. "Hey guys, have you heard? There's a new girl coming today." He sighed. "I hope she's at least seventeen…"

Ichigo looked at him. "A new girl?"

"Yeah, the people who have met her say she's fun to be around with; she has a contagious positive aura. Or so I've heard."

Keigo stood up, rubbing his forehead, which was now bruised. "Yeah, I heard about her too! Someone said her eyes are amazing."

Ichigo jumped. _Eyes…?_

Mizuiro looked around him. "Oh, that must be her."

Keigo followed his gaze and Ichigo did as well. His face clouded with realization as he saw her-

_It was that girl!_

She had a lazy look to her stunning eyes, and her bag was hanging over one shoulder, a paper or two peeping out of it. She was looking around and tried to get the attention of the teens around her.

Ichigo blinked. Why was she here? Did she plan to kill him, like in his dream, to those thugs? He swallowed and studied her more.

Then she noticed Ichigo and happiness brightened up her face. She trotted over, yipping, "Hey! Nice to see ya again!" She giggled and stopped right in front of him, her neck craning so she could meet his eyes; she was much shorter than him.

Ichigo scowled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The girl blinked and no other emotion was on her face. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"I seem to be, er… lost. Can you help me find 9th grade, group 3?"

Ichigo flinched. "You mean, my class?"

The girl's grin widened. "We're classmates? Awesome! Almost like the real thing, huh?" Ichigo didn't know what she meant, and he was sure she didn't, either.

She held out her lightly skinned hand. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Gabby. But people call me Elle." After a few moments, she shook her hand further out to him, beckoning him to take it.

He placed his palm within hers and shook. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

She laughed. "What a cute name!"

He growled. "It's not cute! It means 'the one who protects'!"

She opened her grey eye. "Really? Good, because that makes much more sense."

Keigo took her hand delicately from Ichigo's grasp. "Asano Keigo at your service, my lady." He tried to kiss the back of her hand, but she jerked it away before he could even breathe on it.

"Yeah, nice to meet you…" She held her hand and looked at Mizuiro.

He smiled. "I'm Mizuiro. Nice to meet you, Elle." He bowed formally at her. She looked puzzled, but she bowed back. Then she faced Ichigo.

"Hey, do you mind, if I walk with you to class? I'm kinda new to this place." She shrugged and smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Sure. Fine by me."

Elle nodded at him. "Okay! Thanks!" She stood there smiling, but it faded, and she blinked. Then she asked, "Hey, erm… how long until class starts?"

Ichigo looked at his watch. "About thirty minutes. Why?"

She threw her fist into the air and barked "Yes!" Then sat down, got out a pencil and paper, a clipboard, and started drawing on it. Keigo sat by her and watched her pencil work, and Mizuiro just leaned downward to peek. Ichigo remained in his place, his arms crossed and his gaze directed the opposite way. It remained like that for about fifteen minutes.

"It's done~!" She squealed a victory so suddenly it made Ichigo jump, and he turned his eyes back to the trio. She put down her pencil and beamed at the clipboard, admiring her work.

"Woah! What is it?" Keigo asked, his eyes on the clipboard.

"What do you think it is?" She chimed back, her eyes reflecting her happiness. Ichigo couldn't help but feel troubled; he actually wanted to see what she drew. He decided he could see it later, if she would like him to-

"Oh, Ichigo, would you like to see it, too?" Her eyes met his again, and a shiver went down his spine. He looked away, scratched his orange head and mumbled "Well, a little look wouldn't hurt."

She giggled and turned the clipboard towards him. Ichigo looked at her work with astonishment.

It was a canine of some sort - a wolf, maybe - with ruffled fur and sore eyes. It was covered in battle scars and had a gaping, bleeding wound in its side. In its mouth was a flower, drooping and sad, and it was torn up at the end of its thin stem. The canine was walking in snow, and behind it was a mountain and the Northern Lights. In the dark grey sky was written Japanese kanji which said "Search for Paradise." All of it was expertly shaded.

Ichigo stared at the picture. Elle chuckled and put the clipboard down. "Glad you like it!"

"Elle… how did you learn how to do that?"

A sparkle lit in her eyes as he said her name. "I dunno. I just practiced, I guess."

"But… its almost professional work! You could become rich with your art!"

She smiled. "Thanks, Ichigo!" Then she blinked in shock. "Oh man, shouldn't we get to class?" She threw the clipboard into her bag, stood up and quickly walked down the hallway. Ichigo arched an eyebrow at her, and then looked at his watch. It was… almost a minute till class started. Oh, _crap!_ He followed Elle to his classroom.

Elle was sitting in an empty seat near the back, which was wise, for his teacher didn't pay any attention to the ones in the back. She had that piece of paper in her hands, and a sad look glazed her eyes. Ichigo sat in his seat but kept peeking back at her, checking if she was okay.

Wait, what was he doing?

* * *

Elle sighed and put the memory away. She could feel Ichigo's gaze bore on her every few seconds or so. She smiled; she was happy he cared about her at the moment. That was how it all starts out, right?

She looked out the window and watched the birds singing. One had landed on the windowsill, chirping.

_Hi Elle!_

Elle smiled. "_Hello, little one_." Her wolf language wasn't heard by humans, so she was safe talking to other animals.

The little bird flapped its wings. _What are you doing in Human Territory?_

"_I had some stuff to take care of. Don't worry."_

_But Elle-san! You can't get tangled up with humans again! Remember what happened… I mean, how could you forget?_

Elle showed her teeth and snarled. _"Don't you dare freaking think that I'll EVER forget that! Or else you'll become my new prey!"_

The bird flew away in a hurry.

Which was good for her. She didn't need to remember what she had done.

* * *

Lunch came by quickly.

Orihime, Tatsuki, and their little gang of gals were grouped where they usually were. The dudes were at their usual spot also. Elle sat in a lonely corner near nobody. She nibbled on her lunch occasionally, and when she chewed, she scribbled on another piece of paper on the ground.

Ichigo tried eating, but he wasn't that hungry, really. He just watched her. He saw her every move, every bite, every pencil-swish. She looked up at him and smiled, then waved, then bit into her sandwich again.

He turned away, blushing. Why did he feel like watching her oh-so-closely? Was he turning into some sort of stalker-type? He felt stupid and embarrassed. Stop looking at her, Ichigo. Stop looking.

Elle finished her lunch and walked over to Orihime and them.

"Hi!" She chirped. "I felt kind of lonely over there, so I decided to visit randomly. Hehe….."

Orihime giggled. "Sure, you can sit here if you'd like!"

Chizuru blushed. "You have beautiful eyes…!"

Elle smiled back. "Thanks! You're hair is awesome!" She sat down next to Tatsuki.

There was a chatter of some sort afterwards, then Elle decided to add a new topic.

"Is there going to be a full moon tonight?"

Orihime pondered. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"YAY! I get to revive!" She leapt up and threw her fists into the air in some sort of victory, her face filled with happiness.

"What do you mean?" Tatsuki asked.

"I get my strength from the full moon. Actually, all of us do."

Their eyes widened. "HUUUUHHH?"

Elle sat back down. "This is a secret, okay? A VERY SPECIAL secret. You mustn't tell anyone about it…"

The gang nodded their heads in understanding and waited eagerly for her to talk about it. Elle pushed on the suspense by saying nothing at all and looking around.

She sighed, then whispered, "I'm… a Wolf."

Ichigo tried perking his ears at what they had been talking about. All he knew was that whatever Elle had said, it brought shock to all of them.

"No way!" One said.

"It's true!" Elle held up her hands, trying to emphasize what she spoke of.

"It can't be true- you look nothing like one!"

That got Ichigo curious. He tried to listen in a bit more.

"But it is. In fact…" She smirked playfully at the girls, "…you all have a portion of wolf in you."

The girls simply stared at her for about five seconds, then threw questions and comments at her.

"No way- it's just a fairy tale!"

"Are you _serious?_"

"How can that be true?"

Elle smiled. "Have you heard of that story?" The girls stared at her blankly.

She chuckled. "About how humans came to. It starts a little like this, I think." She sat criss-cross Indian style on the ground, her wondrous eyes closed to help her memory. "A long time ago, when the earth was young, beasts from long across the universe came and destroyed it, burned it, used it as its plaything. Mother Nature could see the damage being done, and she sent out warriors to fend off the evil. Those warriors…" She opened one eye here, "…were Wolves.

"They fought bravely against the evil, and healed the planet, then tamed one of the beasts into what is now referred to as 'Man.'" The girls oohed and aahed, but remained attentive to her.

"_I tell you now the words of Red Moon… from the Great Spirit was born the Wolf, and Man became its messenger. _In other words, the human race was created by wolves. See, they had their human form, and their true wolf form. But, within time, they lost sight of the wolf side somehow, and we wolves can see that. It's how we blend in by taking advantage of our human side and cloaking it over our animal bodies."

They blinked and continued listening. Elle didn't even seem to notice Ichigo was hearing in, too.

"You ever heard that phrase of a 'Red Moon?' It's a sign that the apocalypse is coming." The girls gasped for a moment, then were silent again. Elle smirked and continued.

"The Red Moon symbolizes how we wolves need to return home, to our world, instead of this crappy human one." She shuffled a bit at the word "human."

"Where is…their home?" A girl asked.

Elle looked into the crowd, then at the sky, and barely whispered, "Paradise…"

"Huh? What's Paradise?"

She looked back at the crowd. "It's a world where wolves reign supreme. The wolves are the protectors and healers of the world, so when the Chosen Wolf and his comrades left to open it, the world fell apart."

"Did they ever find it?"

Elle paused at her story, and looked down, and remained silent for a long time, her dark grey hair covering her face. The girl who asked the question shied back, hoping it didn't offend her.

"…No." She lifted her face back up, depression clouding her eyes for a second, but they returned to its usual young happiness. "So, that's about it!" She giggled.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and bit into his sandwich.

* * *

Her eyes clouded with memory at that girls question. It all flew back to her suddenly, how and why she left when they needed her. She sensed their troubles, yet turned her back. They called to her, and she perked her ears the other way.

She was disgusted with herself after finding out what had happened when she couldn't sense them at all anymore. It was eating her alive, but telling the story made it die down just a bit. She hated not being herself around these…_humans. _

One day, she just might make it to Paradise… with him. She had high hopes of it.

* * *

**((This may be a better way to speak in OOC or whatever. :P Sorry for abandoning this story, the idea was like… dead for a while until I got into Bleach again. So… stay tuned or… something. :P))**


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